Patent GB-1345043-A (GB)
Title: Printing machine
IPC: B41K3/50
Filed: 1971-04-19
Abstract: 1345043 Selective printings SOC ANON CROUZET 19 April 1971 [3 April 1970] 25972/71 Heading B6F [Also in Division G4] A printing machine, particularly for transportation tickets, comprises a support bracket 10 having a flat face 10a for carrying the ticket to be printed, means whereby one point on the face of the bracket is caused to follow a path E10 resembling a closed hypocycloid having a number of cusps, there being disposed at some of the cusps respective printing plates 14 tangential to the circle circumscribing the cusps, means being provided to ensure that the flat face of the support bracket is also tangential to the circumscribing circle at the cusps. At least some of the printing plates are for selected variable data. In the embodiment shown the support bracket is pivotally mounted on a crank-pin 8b carried by a pinion 8 mouted on a rotatable disc 4 and meshing with a stationary internally toothed ring 3a (see also Fig. 4, not shown). The number of teeth in the ring 3a is an integral multiple of the number of teeth of the pinion 8 and the axis of the crank-pin 8b coincides in the rest position, as shown, with the pitch circle of the pinion. On rotation of the disc 4 the crank-pin describes a hypocycloidal path E8. A second support bracket which carries an inking pad 12 is mounted on the crank-pin 9<SP>1</SP>a of another identical pinion 9 and the two brackets are hinged together by a pin 13 which ensures that the inking pad and ticket are parallel to the printing plates at the cusps of the path E10. In another embodiment (Fig. 2, not shown) the ticket support (S) is mounted on a rod (T) connected to a crank-pin (M) and slidable within a rotatable guide (O) that is pivoted at the centre of the circumscribing circle (C<SP>1</SP>) of the hypocycloidal path (H<SP>1</SP>) of the crank-pin. Guillotine; ticket feeding.-A guillotine 31- 32 is released to the action of spring 33 on the initial rotation of disc 4 by means of a cable 36 attached to a lever 37 that co-operates with a cam 39 fixed at the centre of the disc. The length cut from the ticket strip 30 is held between feed rollers 42, 43. After one revolution of the disc and closure of contact 28 electric motor 63 is energized to drive rollers 40, 42, 44 and 46 so as to displace the printed ticket from the support bracket, feed the unprinted cut length into the bracket and to advance the uncut strip through the guillotine. The rollers 44 and 46 are mounted on a lever 49 and are towards the support, against a spring 53, by means of a pin 52 on inking-pad support 11 engaging a blade spring 51 attached to the lever, ensuring that the rollers are not inked during passage of the inking pad. Printing plates.-The plate for printing the departure station (Fig. 11, not shown) comprises a rotatable drum (72) that is set by an official in one position by means of pin (75) engaging holes (70a). Invariable data such as Km and F (francs) are also printed at this location. The price is printed by a plate (Fig. 12, not shown) comprising a counter (76) driven by a motor (77) under the control of a coder (78) the outputs of which are connected to a comparator in a prepayment device. A similar plate is used for printing the distance of the journey. The plate for printing the serial number (Fig. 13, not shown) has a printing counter (79) advanced one step by the action of a ticket on lever (83). The destination station printer (Fig. 14, not shown) comprises a drum (721) that carries a brush (86) passing over contact studs (87) that are connected to a driving motor via normally closed contacts. The selection of a station consists in opening the contacts to the corresponding stud, the motor rotating until the brush (86) is located on this stud. Inking-device.-In the rest position the inking pad 12 is in contact with an auxiliary pad (65) (Figs. 9 and 10, not shown) that is fed with ink from a reservoir (68) by a wick (66). The pad (65) is slidably mounted and urged towards the pad (12) by springs (69<SP>1</SP>). The ticket support bracket (10) when presented in front of the pad (65) engages and displaces the cover (17).